Work Hard for the Money (open)

[Sara Caid]

Sara followed in Dale Harvey's footsteps, one hand on her waist and the other shielding her eyes from the sun. By the time she was in the position to see much of anything, the horse was calm and the hubbub was just about overwith. No, wait, there was a familiar accent raising above the hussel to remake the excitement. Sort of. Sara recognised that brague anywhere and knew the moment Seamus turned to one side that naught too much would be done about the event. All was well now, afterall.

Arching her brow at the unknown outlaw and girl in his arms, her petite frame trudged over the dusty road towards her ranch hand, determined to make sure he'd not come to any injury. He was an employee, afterall, but he was also a good kid. Lord, what was she saying, he wasn't much younger than her. "Seamus, y'all right?"

[Cecil Carpenter]

His voice was deep and low and it reverberated the very being of Cecil Carpenter. For a moment, Cece forgot that her back ached like a mother and why she was in front of the general store in the first place.

She was tongue-tied, of course. Not that she talked much with anyone in general (most everyone didn't even know who she was as she spent most of her time on the ranch), but still, even for her, this was a bit too quiet.

Cece tried to stand. The result, of course, was a painful scream followed by another near-collapse. Thank god, though, that the stranger was there for Cece to hold on to.

"Oh my..." she drawled. "I reckon I hit the ground purdy hard." She winced. "Ain't easy fallin' off a horse..."

Cece looked back at the outlaw. Okay, if this meant that she would be in his arms forever, so be it. She didn't care about the pain that much.

[Seamus Doherty]

The knight in non-shining non-armor and the damsel in distress seemed pretty busy, so Seamus just nodded at the compliment to his dealing with the horse and let it be. No need to stir up trouble. No need to interrupt the mutual ogling either.

He was glad to hear Sara's voice. Respectfully he tugged at his hat. "Aye, well enough Miz Caid." He cocked his head to the side quizzically. "How come yeh're in town? I did get what I came for, before endin' up chasing a horse down main street," he hurried to reassure her, gesturing at the rope over his shoulder. "Nails and coffee too. Did yeh need somet'in' else?"

[elizabeth mccoy]

They all followed out to find that a young girl had fallen from her horse. It'd obviously gotten spooked at something and just got a mind of it's own. Horses could be tricky like that, the girl would have to be more careful. Apparently though, it usually wasn't like that at all. Still, the slighest thing could frighten those gentle giants. Elizabeth had been on the wrong end of some mighty bad injuries from spooked horses. They didn't realize their size and could hurt you bad.

She watched the scene from the porch of the bar and wondered just how everything had played out. Elizabeth was a curious one. Glancing at all the faces, they seemed all familiar, but none she could place with a name, besides Dale. The others were just people around town that she'd nodded at or had smiled at her. The Irish fellow, he was good looking, seemed nice. The brunette that had followed them out also seemed to be friendly. And the girl that had fallen from her horse, well embarassed of course, but she still held herself with dignity. Still, as nice as they seemed, Elizabeth wasn't exactly the friend making type.

[Jack Wakefield]

Sheriff Jack Wakefield liked to think that if there was something going on in Wheatgrass County that he didn't know about, it wasn't anything important. Since there was very little in Wheatgrass County except the town of Horsehead, this wasn't such a difficult thing to believe, and he could be found lingering here and there, checking in on people, a benevolent but cautionary presence making sure that everything was as it was supposed to be.

Wakefield was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of his office, braiding a whip. He appeared to be completely engrossed in the work. Under the lowered brim of his hat, however, his eyes frequently darted up and down the street. He was chewing on something, his stubble-rough jaw working methodically. Once in a while people passed by; he greeted the men with a nod and lifted his hat to the ladies. He reached into his vest a couple of times to take out a strip of jerky, which he then slowly chewed on for several minutes.

The commotion up the street had him on his feet in an instant. When he arrived on the scene he felt a glowing ember of pride in his chest. It was all under control, and the citizens of the town had taken care of it. This is why he was a sheriff. These were good people. You had to go beneath the surface to find it in some of them... you had to go way beneath the surface to find it in a few. But they were basically good.

He made his way over to a young woman who seemed to be injured. A man was helping her, looked like, but still Wakefield tipped his hat and rumbled, "Ma'am." Then he recognized her and his brows lowered in concern. Or suspicion. It was hard to tell sometimes with him. "Miss Carpenter. Everything all right here?"

[Sara Caid]

An easy smile spread across Sara's soft features as Seamus greeted her, dipping her head in return as she scoffed, "Now, Seamus, I told yeh to call me Sara. Yehve worked 'ere long enough." She inclined her head to match his own, more for a comic sense then for any other thought or mind. His other questions made her pull a face and toss a hand flippantly, "This'n'that, rehlly just t'get away from the baby for awhile."

It was then that something caught Sara's attention just out of the corner of one eye. She held up a hand to her employee before reaching down to lift her skirts up in one hand. Stepping towards the scene of the crime, where the horse had originally shied, she stopped a few feet shy of the exact place. In one swift movement, she slapped her foot down toes first and then looked up, "'nyone gotta knife? Think Ah just found our culprit." Beneath her boot, a rattlesnake slithered back and forth with its tail tossing backwards and forwards a mile a minute as the tell-tale sound started to ring through the air.

[Seamus Doherty]

Instead of going to help dispatch the snake, Seamus yelped and scrambled backward so quickly that he hit the wall of the store. "Jaysus!" He managed to restrain himself from sprinting straight inside, but he did inch a little further along the wall, his knuckles white as he clutched his rope. "Jaysus," he repeated, faintly awed.

[elizabeth mccoy]

As the young girl noticed the snake, so did Elizabeth. She watched as the girl fearlessly placed her boot right onto the snake. Elizabeth was impressed with her courage. She had to hold back a laugh though as the Irishman jumped about fifty feet in the air, his face paling considerably as he locked his eyes on the snake. It was obvious that he wasn't too calm around the animals. She was alright with them though. Her theory was that if you left them alone, they'd leave you alone...usually. Luckily, she had never had too many instinces where her life was in danger from one of the rattlers, she usually noticed them before they were of any real harm.

The girl asked for a knife and since everyone else seemed spooked or busy at the moment, Elizabeth decided to extend her services. Taking the long knife from it's case in her holster, she stepped off the porch and into the blazing sun that was beating down on the little town.
"Believe this'll do tha trick..." she said with a slight nod as she took a few steps closer to both the snake and the girl.

[Dale Harvey]

Dale was smirking down at the little woman in his arms. She fit very nicely in Jack's arms, as if the good Lord made her to fit here. He had no problem catching her when she almost fell, chuckling slightly. "Hold on there, miss," he laughed. "Take it slow. Ya hit yer head." He put his hands on her skull, checking for pumps and finding none. "Ya should be ok, but don't sleep for awhile now. Ya might not wake up, and that would be a shame."

It was at that moment the Law came calling. Dale tipped his hat lower over his eyes and noticed that a snake had been found. He heard the lawman call the girl still in his arms Miss Carpenter. He took note of that name. He would have to find this girl again. But now was not the time to be flirting. Dale didn't want the law catching wise to who he was.

"I best be off. You be careful now, ma'am." He slowly let go of her, wishing all the while he didn't have to. He tipped his hat to her. "You ever need a thing just whistle. I'll be there in a flash." He walked toward his horse, making a point to walk past the old lawman. "Sheriff," he said, nodding his head slightly before unhitching his horse and riding off, kicking up dust as he left.

[Cecil Carpenter]

Cecil still couldn't talk. Tongue-tied had become an understatement for her, really. As his strong palm roamed over her skull, she made sure not to exhale sharply, knowing other people were watching. "Yuh, ain't a-gonna sleep fer a while," she nodded her head and smiled as Dale complimented her. "It'd be a shame not t'see ya, either."

It took a while to realize that someone other than Dale was talking to her. It was the Sheriff. "'Afternoon, Sheriff," she said pleasantly, straining to stay on her two feet. She didn't want Dale to leave, but didn't want to see desperate, either. God, how long was it since anyone, really? She just looked hungrily after him, sighing inwardly as the man left on his horse

"Ye can see how I caused ev'ryone trouble here. Musta scared poor Seamus t' death wi' my worse neighin' like tha'." She looked at the sheriff. Last time they'd talk, it had been quite embarrassing. But Cece worked hard not to recall that incident. Ever. "I reckon I'll be goin' now. Ain't ne'er meant t' be trouble."

Cece looked around for her hat and found it on the ground. She placed it back on her head and limped with pride towards her stallion. Screw the nails. She'd get them another day.

[Jack Wakefield]

The concern became more clearly suspicion and a bit of hard thinking as Wakefield watched the stranger go. Absently he returned the nod, trying to get a good look at him, but the shadows and the way the man's face was turned didn't let him. He continued to peer after him for a few moments, until the cloud of dust obscured his distant shape.

But he had more pressing things to deal with. Quickly he turned back when Cece spoke. "No, no trouble at all," he said, the corners of his thick mustache lifting slightly at the crack about the Irishman. He didn't follow, knowing how proud the people out here tended to be, but he was ready to lunge forward if she showed any signs of collapse. "Sure you don't want to rest a bit longer? Come on down to my office, have a cup of tea, make sure y'aren't about to fall. A head injury's no small thing."

There was nothing in his voice or expression that indicated he had any thought but the usual concern he would have for anyone in his town that had a bad fall from a horse; if he was thinking about the last time they talked, he wasn't showing it.

[Cecil Carpenter]

Cecil shook her head as the Sheriff invited her in his office. "I ain't injur'd, Sheriff," she said defiantly, pressing her hat down even further on her head. "I reckon it's bes' fer me to go home; my brothers'll be worried." Which was the truth. It really shouldn't have taken this long to buy a pack of nails.

Besides, she didn't need people making fuss over her. She'd fallen off a horse before. Not this badly, but still. That was bound to count for experience, right?

Without further ado, she mounted her now-calm stallion, thanked Seamus and everyone else profusely (and apologized again for being an inconvenience). "Ya!" she kicked her heels gently to the side of the horse's body and was off towards the ranch again.

[Jack Wakefield]

He inclined his head respectfully. "All right, well, take care of yourself. Give the boys my best."

Until she was gone the sheriff stayed there, his thumbs hooked in his belt, and watched everyone who remained. Then he took another strip of jerky from his inside vest pocket and strolled back down the street toward the jailhouse. He brought the whip he'd been working on into his office, collected his coat, locked the door, and headed home. It was about time for Deputy John to take a shift.

(EDIT: Fixed to keep things straight for John. :3)

[Sara Caid]

The woman's brow arched as she watched the various persons dispatch themselves off into the horizon. She was left with a rattler beneath her boot, mad as hell and ready to strike anyone who got too close. When the blonde woman stepped forward to hand over the knife, Sara gave a snarky smile as she took the handle in her hand, "Thank ya kindly. Seems the womenfolk are left to deal with venomous beasts, while the men get the damsels and horses."

Rolling her eyes, she reached down with the blade and stabbed the rattler straight between the eyes at the top of it's skull. It slithered about a bit before dying. Sara loved animals, but she had little patience for dangerous beasts in the town center. Besides, they hadn't the equipment to carry it far from town and she wasn't going to volunteer to do so much. Instead, she reached down to pick up the dead creature with one hand and handed the knife back over to the woman. "Don' suppose any of you lot care for snakemeat?" Sara, most assuredly, did not, but the ranchhands and the odd cowboy didn't mind it.

[Seamus Doherty]

Once he was sure the snake was dead, Seamus started to get curious. He blew all his astonishment out with a sigh and shook his head as if dazed, then pushed himself off of the wall and went for a closer look. "No wonder the horse went mad," he said, crouching slightly but still staying a good few feet away. "Catchin' sight o' this beast." A shiver went through him. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and straightened up. There were no snakes at all in Ireland, never mind rattlesnakes. He'd seen them before but he'd never been this close. And he wasn't ashamed to admit that they scared him senseless.